AMERICAN PASTIME; Keeping It Cold For Nine Innings

By NICK KAYE

Published: October 1, 2004

DON'T have a ticket for the big game? Get off the couch and head to a bar. Here are a few around the country that promise to be packed in the coming weeks, as faithful fans celebrate or mourn together:

New York

YANKEE TAVERN -- 72 East 161st Street, Bronx, 718-292-6130. Opened in 1928 just outside Ruth's house (after he became a Yankee, of course), this has long been the bar of choice for Yankees fans -- and players. Old photographs and murals of Yankees greats adorn the wall, giving the place the feel of a baseball museum. With nine TV's and 12 draft beers, this is a sports bar in the truest sense, oozing history, especially during the Yankees' annual playoff run.

St. Louis

OZZIE'S RESTAURANT AND SPORTS BAR -- 645 Westport Plaza, Maryland Heights, Mo., 314-434-1000. The Cardinals have already wrapped up the National League Central title at Busch Stadium and are looking to make an impact in the playoffs. Opened by Cardinals' Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith in 1988, the bar features a large menu and 55 televisions, including five big screens.

San Francisco

BAYSIDE SPORTS BAR AND GRILL -- 1787 Union Street, 415-673-1565. With the Giants battling to make it to the playoffs and Barry Bonds making history with his bat, tickets to SBC Park have been hard to come by. Bayside, with its 40-plus TV's, 18 draft beers and full menu, is as close to the action as the unticketed can get -- without a kayak, that is.

Chicago

MURPHY'S BLEACHERS -- 3655 North Sheffield Avenue, 773-281-5356. Just across the street from Wrigley Field, Murphy's, which opened in the 1930's, serves as a crowded extension of Wrigley. With rooftop seating available for private parties, a beer garden, dozens of TV's and 15 beers on tap, Murphy's is the place to watch as the Cubs look to win the National League wild card.

Houston

GRIFF'S -- 3416 Roseland Street, 713-528-9912. As the Astros make a bid for the National League wild card at Minute Maid Park, the crowd at Houston's self-proclaimed oldest sports bar swells. Griff's opened in 1965, the same year as the Astrodome, and while the Astrodome now sits vacant, the bar is still buzzing with some 17 TV's, including 3 big screens. It's also the home of Griff's Army, a group of Houston fans who take buses to the game from the bar. To enlist, simply walk in and start drinking.